Drink mixer switch and column construction



A ril 23, 1968 3,379,416

DR INK MIXER SWITCH AND COLUMN CONSTRUCTION c. L. SMADYER ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1966 JFJlgLZ INVENTORS CHARLES 'L: SMADER KENNETH P. BARDELL 73M? W ATTORNEY April 23, 1968 c. L. SMADER ETAL DRINK MIXER SWITCH AND COLUMN CONSTRUCTION '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1966 INVENTORS CHARLES L. SMADER KENNETH P. BARDELL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,379,416 DRINK MIXER SWITCH AND COLUMN CONSTRUCTION Charles L. Smader and Kenneth P. Bardell, Racine, Wis.,

assignors to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 36, 1966, Ser. No. 606,217 7 Claims. (Cl. 259108) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drink mixer provided with a switch which comprises a mounting bracket, slide plate, actuator shaft and easing enclosed switch mechanism assembled to form a unit which is mounted in the drink mixer column by fastening means which also serve to connect the front wall to the rear wall of the column. The switch assembly includes means for limiting the movement of the slide plate whereby operating forces are transmitted to the mounting bracket and the switch mechanism is free from strain. The column rear wall is provided with integral supports which serve the purposes of receiving fastening means for mounting the switch assembly in the column, mounting the column hardware on the front of the column and connecting the front to the rear wall of the column.

This invention relates to drink mixers embodying one or more motor driven agitator spindles for mixing ingredients in a container or containers, employing a manually operated switch for each motor and a cup actuated switch for each agitator.

An object of the invention is to provide a cup actuated switch which is very simple in construction, having only one moving part in the actuating mechanism. The moving part is movable in a generally vertical direction and has definite upper and lower limit positions, whereby the operating forces are transmitted to the mounting bracketry only, without any stress being transmitted to the switch mechanism.

The switch and its mounting bracket constitute a compact unit, the mounting in the mixer column being designed to permit removal of column hardware and disassembly of the column without affecting the switch assembly. The cup mounting hardware as well as the actuator guide and face plate can be removed and the column disassembled without touching the switch and the mounting means to which it is attached. The cup guide can be easily removed for cleaning but cannot drop off in the event the thumb screw works loose.

Although the switch contacts are located below the cup lip, the contacts are enclosed and protected from contamination by foreign matter. The construction and mounting of the switch are such that servicing of the switch and other parts of the mixer can be performed in the field without the need of sending the mixer or parts to a remote service department.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational front view of a drink mixer embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of the switch mounting bracket assembly.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, in the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the switch mounting bracket detached from the parts shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the switch actuating slide plate of the assembly detached from the parts shown in FIG. 4.

In that embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the cup actuated switch mechanism and the column construction are shown and described as embodied in a single motor, single column drink mixer, but they may be part of a multiple motor, multi-column structure such as shown in US. Patent No. 2,815,194, to Arthur W. Seyfried et al., assigned to the assignee of this invention.

The column 10 as a whole comprises a front wall 11 which is concave horizontally and integral with side walls 12, merging into a base 13, detachably connected to a rear wall 14. The upper portion 15 of the column housing encloses a motor 16 and manually operated switch member 17 heretofore known, and therefore not described in detail. An agitator shaft 18 has mounted thereon agitators 19.

The rear wall 14 of the column 10 is provided with three horizontally disposed supports which are integral with the rear wall. The lowermost support 20 extends forwardly from the rear wall to the front 11 and is of sutficient depth to receive a small head screw 21 and a large head screw 22, which extend through a cup supporting clip 23 and the front wall 11, into the support 20. Thus the screws 21, 22 serve to firmly fasten the cup supporting clip 23 on the front wall 11 as well as to attach the front wall to the rear wall of the column. The support 25 also is integral with and extends forwardly from the rear wall 14 to a plane inwardly of the front wall, for the purpose of having mounted thereon by screw 26 the lower end of the switch mounting bracket 27 which will be described hereinafter. The uppermost support 28 is integral with and extends forwardly from the rear wall 14 to the front wall 11 for reception of a screw 29 which serves to connect the front wall to said rear wall and also to mount the upper end of the switch mounting bracket 27 on the support 28.

The cup actuated switch comprises the switch mounting bracket 27 in the form of a flat plate member 30 provided with elongated slots 31, 32, an upper end member 33 and lower end member 34 integrally connected to the plate member 30 by inwardly bent portions 35, 36, respectively. The end members 33, 34, are provided wit-h apertures 37, 38, respectively, for attachment of the bracket 27 to the supports 28 and 25, by the screws 29 and 26, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2.

A slide plate is shown detached in FIG. 6. It is provided with apertures 40' adjacent its opposite ends for slidably mounting it on the bracket 27 by a guide bracket pin 41 and stake 42. The pin 41 extends through the apertured slide plate 40 and through the slot 32 of the plate 30 of the bracket 27. The stake 42 extends through the apertured slide plate 40, through the slot 31 into the inner end of an actuator shaft 43 as best shown in FIG. 4. The shaft 43 is screw threaded on its outer end and is provided between its ends with an annular flange 44. The slide plate 40 thus is slidably mounted on the bracket 27 by the pin 41 movable in the slot 32 and by the stake 42 and shaft 43 movable in the slot 31 of the bracket 27. A washer 45 fits between the flange 44 of the shaft 43 and the bracket member 30.

The center portion of the slide plate 40 is offset from the apertured end portions by inclined members 46, 47, and the end extremities are curved as indicated at 48, 49, respectively. The inclined member 46 functions to actuate a switch button hereinafter described. The curved ends 48 and 49 contact the inwardly bent portions 35, 36,

respectively, of the mounting bracket 27, said bent portions serving as upper and lower stops for the movement of the sliding plate 40. A coiled spring 50 is attached at its upper end to the sliding plate 40 through the aperture 51, and at its lower end by a hook 52 engaging the slot 53 in the mounting bracket 27.

The switch contacts are enclosed in a switch casing 55 fastened to a switch mounting plate 56 by suitable fastening means 57, 58, and mounted on the part of the bracket 27 by stake 59. The switch contacts (not shown) in the casing 55 are actuated by the button 60 when the latter is depressed by contact with the inclined member 46 of the slide plate 40.

After the switch enclosing casing 55 has been fastened to the mounting bracket 27, and the slide plate has been slidably mounted on the bracket 27, the assembled unit will appear as shown in FIG. 4, with the shaft 43 projecting as shown for use in mounting the assembly in the column 10. The front wall 11 and integral side walls 12 are removed, exposing the supports 20, 25 and 28. The switch assembly unit :is mounted by means of the screw 26 connecting the lower end of the bracket 27 to the support 25, and the screw 29 connecting the upper end of the bracket 27 to the support 28. When the walls 11, 12 are replaced, the actuator shaft 43 will project through a slot in the wall 11. A container guide plate 61 is screwed onto the threaded end of the shaft 43 and held in proper position by the thumb screw 62. The guide plate 61 is shaped to receive the lip of an ingredient cup (not shown), and to be pushed upwardly by the cup lip when the user moves the cup into intended position wherein the bottom of the cup rests on the clip 23. The upward movement of the plate 61 results in moving the sliding plate 40 upwardly relatively to the mounting bracket 27, causing the inclined portion 46 of the slide plate to engage the switch button 60 to depress it relatively to the casing 55, to close the switch contacts in the casing. This action stretches the spring 50, When the mixing has been completed and the container removed, the spring automatically draws the slide plate 40 downwardly relatively to the bracket 27, thereby allowing the switch button to return to undepressed position, automatically returning the guide plate 61 to its lower normal position wherein the switch contacts are open.

In describing the invention, reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same, but we wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawings and that various changes may be made in the construction and general arrangement of parts without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a drink mixer having an upright column and a support for the bottom of an ingredient cup mounted on the column, the improvement which comprises a unitary self-contained switch assembly comprising (a) a mounting bracket stationarily mounted on the the rear wall of the column,

(b) a slide plate mounted for sliding movement on the bracket between the bracket and column rear wall, said plate having an inclined switch contacting surface between its ends,

(c) a push button type switch-containing casing fastened to the mounting bracket and having an actuating button protruding from the casing in the path of movement of said inclined slide plate switch contacting surfa'ce,

(f) an actuator shaft connected to the slide plate and projecting through the column for engagement by the upper edge of an ingredient cup for moving the sliding plate when the cup is being moved upwardly to place it on the cup support, and

(g) means connected to the slide plate and to the bracket for automatically returning the actuator shaft and the slide plate to normal position when the cup has been removed.

2. The switch assembly defined by claim 1, in which the mounting bracket is provided with inclined bearing surfaces between its ends inwardly of its mounting on the column and the slide plate is provided with end surfaces which engage said bracket inclined surfaces to limit the sliding movement of the slide plate in opposite directions and transmit the operating forces from the slide plate to the mounting bracket.

3. In a drink mixer having an upright column and a support for the bottom of an ingredient cup mounted on the column, the improvement which comprises a unitary self-contained switch assembly comprising (a) a mounting bracket stationarily mounted in the column,

(b) a slide plate mounted for sliding movement on the bracket, said plate having a switch contacting surface between its ends,

(0) a switch-containing casing fastened to the mounting bracket and having an actuating button protruding from the casing in the path of movement of said slide plate switch contacting surface,

(f) an actuator shaft connected to the slide plate and projecting through the column for engagement by the upper edge of an ingredient cup for moving the sliding plate when the cup is being moved upwardly to place it on the cup support, and

(g) means connected to the slide plate and to the bracket for automatically returning the actuator shaft and the slide plate to normal position when the cup has been removed, said slide plate having an inclined switch contacting surface normally located below the switch actuating button and movable with the slide plate across said button when the slide plate is moved upwardly.

4. In a drink mixer having an upright column and a support for the bottom of an ingredient cup mounted on the column, the improvement which comprises a unitary self-contained switch assembly comprising (a) a mounting bracket stationarily mounted in the column,

(b) a slide plate mounted for sliding movement on the bracket, said plate having a switch contacting surface between its ends,

(c) a switch-containing casing fastened to the mounting bracket and having an actuating but-ton protruding from the casing in the path of movement of said slide plate switch contacting surface,

(f) an actuator shaft connected to the slide plate and projecting through the column for engagement by the upper edge of an ingredient cup for moving the sliding plate when the cup is being moved upwardly to place it on the cup support, and

(g) means connected to the slide plate and to the bracket for automatically returning the actuator shaft and the slide plate to normal position when the cup has been removed, said mounting bracket being provided with a pair of elongated, longitudinally aligned slots, and the slide plate being slidably mounted on the bracket by pins which extend from the slide plate through said slots, one of said pins extending into the actuator shaft.

5. A power operated drink mixer comprising (a) an upright column having front and rear walls,

(b) a motor in the column,

(c) upper, lower and intermediate horizontally disposed supports extending forwardly from the rear wall of the column,

(d) a unitary switch assembly including a switch mounting bracket, a slide plate having a switch contactjng surface between its ends, said slide plate being slidably mounted on the bracket, a casingenclosed switch mechanism mounted on the bracket and having an actuating button protruding from the casing in the path of movement of the slide plate switch contacting surface, and an actuator shaft connected to the slide plate,

(e) fastening means extending through the column front wall and through the switch mounting bracket into the upper horizontal support,

(f) fastening means connecting the switch mounting bracket to the intermediate support, (g) a cup supporting clip on the front wall for supporting the bottom of an ingredient cup, and (h) fastening means extending through the cup supporting clip and the column front wall into the lower horizontal support,

whereby the front wall is fastened to the rear wall of the column by the same means which mount the switch bracket in the column and the cup supporting clip on the column front wall. 6. The drink mixer defined by claim 5 which includes a cup guide plate threaded on the actuator shaft and a thumb screw extending through the plate into contact with the actuator shaft.

7. The drink mixer defined by claim 5 in which the slide plate and actuator shaft are moved upwardly by the upper edge of an ingredient cup when the cup is placed on the cup supporting clip, and which includes means connected to the slide plate and to the bracket for automatically returning the actuator shaft and slide plate to normal position when the cup has been removed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,966 10/1929 Robinson 259-108 1,764,337 6/1930 Nielsen 259-108 X 1,764,338 6/1930 Nielsen 259108 ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner. 

